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Saturday, 29 March 2008

Vive la France! Another mystery.

Back from Fuerteventura where there appeared to be a total lack of discernable war memorials but lots of semi-tame wild Ravens and ground squirrels both of which can be hand fed - great fun.

Just to keep the blog going I thought I would post this pic of a mystery object that hangs in one of the county's churches and see if anyone has any suggestions.

The cross is about 18 inches high, made of cast bronze and bears a maker's name which appears to read 'Gillen' or 'Cillen'. Below the wreath is a representation of a medal - The Croix de Guerre? I make the presumption that it is in some manner associated with the Great War, but it could be of any date in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. Might it be Napoleonic or from the Franco - Prussian war?

No comments:

A gentle jaunt through a poignant aspect of Cumbria's history.

Longsleddale Memorial Sundial

Longsleddale sundial & others

There are many war memorials in Cumbria. The United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials at the Imperial War Museum lists over 800 in the county but this is a gross underestimate. There are perhaps two or three thousand commemorating conflicts from the middle ages to Iraq & Afghanistan. They take every imaginable form.

This occasional blog describes some of the the finer points of memorial watching and some of my own thoughts on what they seem to say. Please leave comments; I have learnt a lot from peoples observations and memories.

Memorials are of a specific time - they pose many questions; about the validation of war, of death and remembrance and of ever morphing ideas of community or nationhood.

I'm not precious about the pics - they are there for all - download them as you will.

I have used illustrations and info from all over the web and elsewhere. If I have not acknowledged the source or infringed copyright I apologise. Let me know and I will make amends as best I can.

On more recent postings links to associated or interesting websites are highlighted in the text

Me & this

Following a rather dizzy hippy life in Northumberland in the 60s when I somehow got a degree in Fine Art I embarked on a career in the civil service which soon died a natural death. After a further period as a restaurateur I went to Lancaster and got a degree in Independent Studies followed by a Master's Degree in Historical Research. Now retired I do what interests me - history! And that means, among other things, war memorials - an excuse to explore the wonderful county of Cumbria; its towns, villages & churches & people.